Space – Nerdisthttp://nerdist.com
Thu, 22 Feb 2018 02:36:08 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.4The Andromeda Galaxy May Not Be As Big As We Thoughthttp://nerdist.com/andromeda-galaxy-size-local-group/
Thu, 22 Feb 2018 01:19:36 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=573487The 2011 Brit Marling sci-fi film Another Earth posited the idea of a mirrored version of Earth entering the Milky Way. The idea seems preposterous, and it probably is–in the film, the “other Earth” is more of an alternate reality, inhabited by our own human copies–but recent findings about our closest galactic neighbor, Andromeda, make the premise just a bit more plausible.

Though there are no known Earth copies in Andromeda, new research published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (via Gizmodo) finds the galaxy is more like the Milky Way than we previously thought. Originally believed to be as much as two times the size of our home galaxy, the new study details Andromeda is actually roughly the same size as the Milky Way. That means that instead of being second-in-command of the Local Group, a collection of our 54 closest neighboring galaxies , we’re now twin rulers with Andromeda.

This new information completely alters the expected future of our two galaxies. Though astronomers have known for a long time that the Milky Way and Andromeda will eventually merge (not for like five billion years, don’t worry), the results of the collision have new connotations. Instead of Andromeda absorbing the Milky Way, it’s now believed the merger will create a giant new galaxy, the king of the Local Group. It’s not really known what, exactly, will happen to the planets and our Sun in this instance, but five billion years is a long way out. It’s likely our Sun will survive the merger, and that the giant black holes in both galaxies will combine.

For now, the most exciting part about the new findings are that they allow us to learn more about the formation and history of the Andromeda galaxy, as well as its future role in the evolution of the Local Group. Only time will tell if it contains a second Brit Marling.

Stay in space with these stories!

]]>Neptune’s “Fart Storm” Is About to Diehttp://nerdist.com/neptunes-fart-storm-is-about-to-die/
Sat, 17 Feb 2018 16:00:58 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=572657For the last few years, a massive storm the size of China has been raging on Neptune. The Hubble Space Telescopefirst detected the storm in June 2015, with astronomers likening its clouds to the pancake-shaped ones in the children’s book Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Like Jupiter‘s famous Great Red Spot, the storm’s swirling vortex created a dark blur on the planet. But while Jupiter’s spot has remained for the last 200 years, Neptune’s – which is full of hydrogen sulfide, a chemical compound that smells like farts – is about to die.

According to new research published in the Astronomical Journal, the spot’s contrast weakened from about 7% to about 3% from 2015 to 2017, while companion clouds shifted from its offset to the center. These findings indicate the storm is in its death stages, and it’s the first time the active death of a vortex has been observed as it happens.

As the below video from NASA explains, there have been several storms on Neptune in the years since Voyager 2 first chartered the planet in the 1980s. Since Voyager 2’s return, astronomers have monitored storm activity on Neptune with the Hubble Space Telescope, and have observed the formation of five different storms. But because Hubble is used for so many different observational purposes, it was only able to look at Neptune every few years, always missing the “death” of these other storms. This is the first time that the technology was able to capture time-lapse images of a storm’s gradual expiration.

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In a statement, Michael Wong, co-author of the Astronomical Journal study and a researcher at UC Berkeley, admitted that the storm’s behavior is different than what well-known studies led scientists to expect. “[Previous] dynamical simulations said that anticyclones under Neptune’s wind shear would probably drift toward the equator,” said Wong. “We thought that once the vortex got too close to the equator, it would break up and perhaps create a spectacular outburst of cloud activity.”

While unexpected, it’s actually great news for eager scientists because, as the NASA video explains, this means there’s “a lot left to learn on Neptune.” For now, we’re sure it’s relieved to smell a little less like old farts.

]]>The Top 7 Space Horror Movies to Drive You Insanehttp://nerdist.com/best-space-horror-movies/
Tue, 06 Feb 2018 17:57:00 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=570241Few things are as existentially terrifying to me as the idea of traveling through the void of space. The sheer speck-of-nothingness that is human existence when compared to the Earth seen from orbit, or even just the idea of floating forever, are petrifying if you think about ’em too much. Movies have definitely given those of us who are both fascinated and horrified by space in equal measure a lot to chew on, and have shown us that there’s pretty much nothing not to be afraid of; if there’s nothing out there but us, it’s terrifying, and if there IS something else out there, it’s terrifying. Dammit, movies.

To wit, here are seven movies that have us questioning whether staying on terra firma might not be the best option.

Alien (1979)

This is the movie that gave us the immortal tagline “In space, no one can hear you scream.” So much emphasis has been put on the xenomorph itself in the ensuing nearly-40 years since the release of Ridley Scott’s masterpiece that we often forget that so much of the terror in Alien comes from humanity messing with cosmic forces that have no regard for us. The sequence of members of the crew investigating the derelict spaceship and finding long dead and decayed aliens and eggs is still the movie’s most thought-provoking scene, giving way to some of the tensest haunted-house-in-space thrills you’re likely ever to see.

While most of the films in the Alien series could fit into this list, I’m only picking the original so that we can save room for other stuff!

Event Horizon (1997)

Event Horizon is like if, in Alien, instead of the xenomorph eggs, they found Pinhead from Hellraiser. A long-lost space cruiser called the Event Horizon turns up inexplicably near Neptune and a new ship is sent to investigate. Turns out the big ghost ship used an experimental hyperdrive that may or may not have ripped a hole in the space-time continuum and let some horrible, eldritch evil into our dimension. What’s on the ship drove the crew insane and murderous. Despite a troubled production, Paul W.S. Anderson’s (only good) movie has garnered a cult following through its Lovecraftian sense of madness and graphic depictions of hellish visions.

Sunshine (2007)

Folks out there might argue that Danny Boyle’s underrated 2007 sci-fi story is a thriller and not a horror movie, but I have countless sleepless nights to back up how scary it is. A similar situation to Event Horizon, Sunshine told of a future where the sun’s light was burning out and humanity tried a last-ditch effort to reignite it. The multinational crew has to do its job while looking into what happened to the previous mission’s crew. As it turns out, there are more reasons than protecting your retinas for not staring at the sun.

Mission to Mars (2000)

This movie wants to be 2001 so bad! You probably wouldn’t call this a “horror” movie, no more than I’d call it a “good” movie, but Brian De Palma’s 2000 offering Mission to Mars has plenty to fill you with dread in the outer-spacial sense. To say nothing of a mission wrought with catastrophe which culminates in one of the crew members drifting through space over the red planet itself (and he even removes his space helmet to ensure none of the other crew members waste fuel to try to save him…yeesh), but all the stuff ON Mars deals with alien intelligences, freak cyclones to nothingness, and the notion that we are not what we thought we were. It’s a dumb movie, but it definitely got me.

Galaxy of Terror (1981)

Lots and lots of Alien rip-offs were made in the wake of Ridley Scott’s film, and a good many of them were produced by Roger Corman’s New World Pictures. Not many of them are good, but a couple of them are actually pretty decent, and Galaxy of Terror (alternately known as Mind Warp) is at the top of the heap. Boasting effects and creatures by soon-to-be big shots like James Cameron, the movie has a blue collar space crew up against an alien that makes you live out your deepest, darkest fears and nightmares. Sort of like Alien meets Freddy Krueger, which is fitting since a pre-Elm Street Robert Englund plays one of the unlucky crew members. Super sleazy and gory, Galaxy of Terror nevertheless gives us plenty to plague our space-phobic dreams.

Europa Report (2013)

At this point, space movies have a pretty standard set-up: an international crew is on a mission somewhere and something goes wrong. What makes Europa Report different is the entire thing is told via in-shuttle cameras. Yes, it’s a found-footage movie, but that actually makes it all the more tense. As more and more things go wrong on the crew’s journey to the Jupiter moon of Europa, in search of life underneath the moon’s thick layer of water ice, we feel the weightlessness as much as the growing hopelessness. And while the discovery of an alien would be a triumph in the context of this movie, seeing glimpses and wondering what you’d seen is still a butt-puckering experience.

Planet of the Vampires (1965)

Right about now, you’re thinking all the canned air has gone to my head; there’s no way I actually think a 1960s B-movie made in Italy could possibly scare anybody. That’s somewhat true, but Mario Bava’s super atmospheric, mega stylized movie with a silly title paved the way for Alien, and had some things to say about what aliens in movies could be. After landing on a planet, the unseen, spore-like alien entity infest the bodies of the recently deceased, using reanimated corpses to try to get off the desolate world and go to Earth. And we see remnants of other massive alien visitors who’ve met their fates to these microscopic monsters. It looks very ’60s, but the storytelling and cosmic scares are way ahead of their time.

And that’s our list! Did we leave any major ones adrift in the ether? Let us know your favorites in the comments below!

More terror beyond space and time!

]]>LEGO Invites Fans to Create Their Own Official Space Setshttp://nerdist.com/lego-moments-in-space-fan-builds/
Tue, 30 Jan 2018 19:30:44 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=569047When it comes to space, it’s one small step for man and one giant leap for LEGO. The LEGO company itself has released quite a few space-inspired sets over the years, including some drawn from popular properties like Star Wars and some inspired by real life. But now, LEGO is asking fans to create a new space set of their own design as part of an official contest.

Via Mental Floss, LEGO has sent out the call to builders 13 years old and up to participate in LEGO Moments in Space. As part of this competition, fans will design and create “the ultimate space model” from their imaginations. In other words, it’s not limited to actual spacecraft or ships from sci-fi shows, films, or books. However, there are some limitations. LEGO isn’t looking to create massive $800 sets like its Millennium Falcon. Instead, LEGO is asking for a final product that will break down into 300 pieces and fit into one of the smaller LEGO boxes.

The LEGO Moments in Space contest has an official site. Several fans have already submitted designs, and you can scroll through them for inspiration. They’re accepting submissions until February 9, at which point fans will be given the opportunity to vote for their favorite designs. The LEGO experts will weigh in on February 19, and the results will be announced on March 2. After that, the winning design will be turned into an official LEGO set that will be given away as a promotion.

What do you think about LEGO’s latest space initiative? Set a course for the comment section below and let us know what you’re thinking!

Image: LEGO

Build with more LEGO stories!

]]>Elon Musk Has Sold Over $7.5 Million of Flamethrowershttp://nerdist.com/flamethrower-elon-musk-boring-company-muskwatch/
Tue, 30 Jan 2018 16:00:00 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=568897When Elon Musk sold 50,000 hats emblazoned with The Boring Company’s logo, he didn’t move on to selling t-shirts, hand towels, or even anime-style pillowcases featuring a bishounen version of himself. No, he did what anyone of us would do (especially if we were Hank Scorpio) and began selling flamethrowers for the low, low price of $500. That’s right, Musk wasn’t kidding around when he said The Boring Company would sell real-life flamethrowers. In fact, Musk has sold more than $7.5 million worth of the wacky weapons thus far. This may seem like an odd choice of merchandise given that The Boring Company is Musk’s venture for building massive tunnels underneath Los Angeles to alleviate traffic woes, but boring gigantic tunnels is expensive work and perhaps they need the flamethrowers to fight the Mole Man’s subterranean minions.

According to The Boring Company’s website, its new product is the “world’s safest flamethrower,” and it is “guaranteed to liven up any party!” In the interest of safety, The Boring Company is also selling a fire extinguisher for $30. (It is just a normal fire extinguisher, but it comes emblazoned with a sweet The Boring Company sticker.)

Image: The Boring Company

Those who have cash to burn will have to sign a terms and conditions agreement prior to receiving their flamethrower, which is alleged to begin shipping in the spring. However, given Musk’s track record of staying on schedule with Tesla production, that delivery date is subject to change.

Musk even took to Instagram to demonstrate the flamethrower in action.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg on today’s episode of Muskwatch. In addition to Musk’s unexpected fire sale, hosts Kyle Hill and Dan Casey (that’s me), are giving you the latest updates on SpaceX’s highly anticipated Falcon Heavy launch, huge leaps in cloning technology coming out of China, and much more.

Muskwatchairs on Nerdist.com and YouTube every Tuesday, but you can hack the planet and watch it two full days earlier on Sunday if you’re an Alpha subscriber. Find out how you can get 30 days free (and be 48 hours smarter than your dumb friends) right here.

What do you think of this week’s top stories? What else would you like to see us discuss on Muskwatch? Let us know in the comments below!

]]>The Physics Behind THE LAST JEDI’s Coolest Scenehttp://nerdist.com/physics-the-last-jedi-coolest-scene/
Thu, 11 Jan 2018 17:05:46 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=565676Warning: The following contains major spoilers for Star Wars: The Last Jedi!

If you saw and loved Star Wars: The Last Jedi, chances are one of the moments you came away talking — or screaming, or giddily hyperventilating — about was the culmination of Vice Admiral Holdo’s secret plan to strike back at the First Order. In one of the most unforgettable instances in the Star Wars series, Holdo launched the Resistance’s ship, the Raddus, at hyperspace speeds straight through the hull of the First Order’s Supremacy.

Holdo may have sacrificed her own life in the process, but toward the end of neutralizing the First Order’s pursuit of the Resistance, taking out a bevy of evildoers, and giving Star Wars fans one of the coolest sights they’d seen in ages. But believe it or not, science would have made the whole ordeal even cooler! Find out how on this week’s Because Science.

More Star Wars Nerdery!

]]>NASA Releases New Juno Images of Jupiter for the Public to Processhttp://nerdist.com/nasa-new-juno-images-jupiter/
Tue, 09 Jan 2018 14:04:05 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=565208The first images of Jupiter captured by NASA’s Juno spacecraft, which we got a peek at last May, were even more stunning than we could have hoped for. Since then, Juno has continued to orbit the gas giant, sending back more and more photos for scientists to study and for the rest of us not only to be awed by—and even, if we’re feeling enterprising, to edit ourselves.

On December 16, Juno made its ninth science flyby (“a gravity science orientation pass“) over Jupiter’s clouds, which resulted in a whole new treasure trove of raw images that NASA added to its ever-growing collection. As always those images are shared online, where the public is encouraged to download them, process and edit them, and then share them back for everyone to enjoy. The most recent Juno trip led to another incredible image from “citizen scientists” Gerald Eichstädt and Seán Doran, based on pictures “of colorful, turbulent clouds in Jupiter’s northern hemisphere.”

“NASA’s Juno spacecraft was a little more than one Earth diameter from Jupiter when it captured this mind-bending, color-enhanced view of the planet’s tumultuous atmosphere. Jupiter completely fills the image, with only a hint of the terminator (where daylight fades to night) in the upper right corner, and no visible limb (the curved edge of the planet).”

Juno might be out there on its own soaring high above Jupiter, but its definitely not alone in working to show us how beautiful our solar system is.

Which processed photo is your favorite? Land in our comments section below to tell us yours.

Images: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstädt/Seán Doran

]]>Never Miss a Space Event Again with This New Calendar from the New York Timeshttp://nerdist.com/space-events-calendar-new-york-times/
Tue, 02 Jan 2018 15:06:23 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=563960Are you tired of waking up and seeing your Instagram feed full of images from the previous night’s Supermoon, meteor shower, or other exciting space-happenings? I’m sure there are several of us experiencing that very feeling this morning after having missed out on last night’s New Years Day Full Moon.

Keeping track of all the amazing things happening in the galaxy can feel like a big job! Thankfully, the New York Times is here to help. As Gizmodo reports, the Times has created a calendar that includes every big space event for the year to come. Even better, by clicking here you can instantly add all of the events to your Google calendar; if you’re on mobile, you can click here to instantly populate your mobile calendar.

This is a great year for such a tool to come about. If you missed the Supermoon on January 1, don’t fret, because you don’t have to wait that long for the next bit of astronomical fun. On January 31, we’ll see a total lunar eclipse and a Super Blue Blood Moon, but this year is also packed with other awesome stuff, like meteor showers and even a partial solar eclipse.

But if you’re more interested in NASA and SpaceX launches, this calendar has you covered as well. Confirmed and reported launches are marked on the calendar, as well as important dates like when the NASA InSight spacecraft is set to land on Mars. The calendar is going to be a living document, and dates will be added as the year goes on. So from now on you never have to open up Instagram to learn you’ve missed out on the latest meteor showers, eclipses, launches, and other cool space events.

What do you think of The New York Times‘ new caledar? Will you be using it? Let us know in the comments!

Featured Image: Warner Bros.

More from spaaace!

]]>Astronauts Will Get to Watch THE LAST JEDI—in Space!http://nerdist.com/star-wars-the-last-jedi-astronauts-space-watch/
Wed, 13 Dec 2017 20:30:21 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=562040The Last Jedi officially hits theaters on December 15th and while most of us are putting the final touches on our premiere plans, it looks like the astronauts aboard the International Space Station have viewing plans that blow any of ours out of the water. While it’s not quite a galaxy far, far away, NASA has confirmed that astronauts on the International Space Station will indeed get to watch The Last Jedi while onboard the ISS.

As Inversereports, there isn’t a specific timeline for getting the film onto the ISS just yet, but the astronauts will definitely not have to wait until they return to earth to watch the film. NASA Public Affairs Officer Dan Huot also explained to Inverse that the astronauts typically get digital files for films, and are able to play the movie back on laptops or via onboard projectors. So basically, they get to watch a movie about space while they are in space. That definitely makes my plans of seeing The Last Jedi in a theater with reclining chairs seem a lot less exciting…

The ISS library is full of great titles, including an almost surprising amount of disasters-in-space films like Gravity and Alien. Of course, the ISS movie library isn’t only space-themed with films like Anchorman, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and shows like Better Call Saul and Modern Family rounding out the list. After all, if you’re stuck in a space station for huge chunks of time, you’ve got to have some solid in-flight entertainment to help pass any free time you have.

We’re excited that the International Space Station gang gets to enjoy The Last Jedi like the rest of us, although we’ve got to admit that there is something extra badass about watching the movie while being in space yourself. We can’t wait to hear what they thought of the film!

If you were on the International Space Station, what one movie would you want to be sure to bring along? Tell us in the comments!

Get Some Star Wars History Lessons!

]]>Elon Musk and SpaceX Want to Help You Get Drunk on Marshttp://nerdist.com/budweiser-spacex-elon-musk-space-beer-mars/
Tue, 05 Dec 2017 16:00:17 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=560008“To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems.” Homer Simpson’s comedic toast at the end of “Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment” was a perfect button to a nearly perfect episode of The Simpsons, but it turns out it’s also a driving factor in the colonization of Mars. By now, it’s no small secret that Elon Musk wants mankind to build a civilization on the red planet as early as 2022, but he wants to make sure you’re able to crack open a cold one with the boys while you’re there. If Budweiser and SpaceX have their way, you could be gripping and sipping on some ice cold beer as early as 2024. That’s shorter than the wait to get a drink at most bars in Los Angeles!

Budweiser wants to win the only case race that matters: to become the first beer in space. And they’re making good on that declaration by sending barley into space as part of a supply mission to the International Space Station. The barley will remain on board the ISS for approximately a month before returning to our pale blue dot where it will be analyzed by Budweiser’s scientists, who are seeking answers on how zero gravity affects plant growth and would impact eventual beer production outside of Earth’s atmosphere. To get their barley to space, they partnered with SpaceX and transported the seedlings on a cargo supply mission that launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on December 4.

It’s important to note that Budweiser won’t be the first booze in space period, though. In 2011, Scottish whisky distiller Ardberg sent some of their finest swill to the ISS, and when it returned to Earth they discovered that its time in orbit altered the ratios and chemical composition in the whisky, causing it to have an aftertaste of “antiseptic lozenges” and “rubbery smoke.” Hopefully by testing the effects of zero gravity on beer’s core ingredients before it’s turned into a sweet brewdog will help prevent you from making a face like Kuato in Total Recall after you sip on a tall glass of Bud Mars.

But that’s not all on today’s episode of Muskwatch! Your intrepid hosts Kyle Hill and Dan Casey will be delving into a wild Bitcoin theory, Elon Musk’s fears about the dangers of AI development, and much more!

Muskwatchairs on Nerdist.com and YouTube every Tuesday, but you can hack the planet and watch it two full days earlier on Sunday if you’re an Alpha subscriber. Find out how you can get 30 days free (and be 48 hours smarter than your dumb friends) right here.

What do you think of this week’s top stories? What else would you like to see us discuss on Muskwatch? Let us know in the comments below!

WHAT ELSE IS ELON MUSK UP TO?

]]>The Holiday Gift Guide For Nerds Who Want to Leave the Planethttp://nerdist.com/holiday-gift-guide-2017-nerd-space-leave-the-planet/
Tue, 21 Nov 2017 18:45:36 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=555150This year has been….not great. If only there was a perfect quote to sum up how we feel about 2017…

There it is. Unfortunately, because we’re not astronauts or uber-wealthy, we’re stuck here on Earth for the foreseeable future. But that doesn’t mean we can’t find some ways to help us mentally escape our terrestrial restraints, and what better way to spread the hope of a better tomorrow among the stars than by finding the perfect gift for that fellow frustrated space geek in your life.

So to help you navigate the black hole that is a mall at Christmas time, we’ve put together this Holiday Gift Guide for Nerds Who Want to Leave the Planet. And with items of all prices and sizes, you’re sure to find the right one for your budget, so you can avoid making your credit card bill supernova.

Heat-Changing Constellation Mug

There are lots of heat-changing mugs, but what we love about this 10-ounce one from The Unemployed Philosophers Guild is its cold form is a beautifully starry night sky. And when you add something hot those seemingly random stars are connected to become their famous constellations. It’s nerd cool — it both looks great and it’s educational. ($13.95)

Astronaut Food

Getting your hands on some “real” astronaut food as a kid was the most exciting thing that could happen to a wannabe astronaut short of winning a trip to Space Camp, but guess what? You can still enjoy it as an adult (I know, I have), especially because you can also get astronaut fruit in addition to multiple types of ice cream. These come from the aptly named Astronaut Foods, but they sell combo packs via Amazon. The five ice cream box is $24.95, but the four-pack of astronaut fruit is only $11.57. These work great as a single gift, or as individual stocking stuffers. And also as snacks you can eat at work when you think no one is paying attention.

“Astrophysics for People in a Hurry” by Neil deGrasse Tyson

The best, most affordable way to leave the planet is via a great book (yup, I’m that geek). But some scientific concepts can be tough to comprehend. Fortunately Neil deGrasse Tyson’s “Astrophysics for People in a Hurry” manages to make some of the most complex matters of the universe easy to digest without dumbing them down. It’s a quick, easy read, and available at bookstores everywhere. (E-book 9.00, Print $12)

And if you want a much longer trip through the world of science, Bill Bryson’s classic “A Short History of Nearly Everything” is an absolute must read that also manages to make hard concepts accessible.

UV Glow in the Dark Galaxy Print Dress

If you can’t travel the galaxy, why not bring the galaxy with you everywhere you go. CoquetryClothing has a number of custom-made, UV glow-in-the-dark lycra spandex dresses and apparel that will let you do just that, including this scoop tank fit and flare skate dress. Because being a space nerd doesn’t mean you can’t look freaking awesome. ($49.99)

Customized Star Map of the Sky From Any Location and Date in History

There is no shortage of gorgeous space prints available to purchase, including all 15 of these incredible NASA travel posters from Wiz Bit Art that we must have. But if you want to give a loved one a special gift with a sentimental touch that won’t break the bank, we recommend The Night Sky. They make customized posters that show what the sky looked like from any location on the planet on a specific date. You could make one for the night your child was born in Phoenix, or from when you first met your spouse in London, or that time in you ate 80 shrimp in New Orleans. You can also include a message commemorating why that time and place is so special. This is like being able to time travel any time you want, which is another great way to escape the present day. ($60)

Custom Nebula/Galaxy Converse Sneakers

You know what’s been cool to wear for decades, and will still be cool a billion years from now when mankind is gone and some different species has replaced us? Chuck Taylor sneakers from Converse. And now you can combine your desire to flee this planet with your desire to look hip while doing it with these custom, hand-painted space sneakers from She Talks to Rainbows. If you ever do get away from this blue marble, Chuck Taylors are fashionable in any galaxy. ($88.14)

Voyager Golden Record Vinyl 3LP Box Set

When NASA sent Voyager I and Voyager II off into the cosmos in 1977, they included a gold-plated record that contained photos from Earth, sounds from the planet, messages from politicians, greetings from around the world, and a wide-range of music. Someday it could be the only evidence we ever existed, and you can have your own copy thanks to this Vinyly 3LP Box Set from ThinkGeek with all of the images and sounds mankind sent to the star. It also has 96-page book with all images that were included on Voyager’s record, and a gallery of images transmitted back from the probes. It’s hard to oversell how cool this set is, and fortunately it will be available by mid-December and you can pre-order it now. ($99.99)

Wormhole Ring

Know how every sci-fi movie explains wormholes by connecting two ends of a piece of paper and sticking a pencil through it? Well there’s a reason they all do that — it makes sense. But why limit the wonder of intergalactic space travel to cheap visual displays when you can turn them into fancy jewelry. That’s what you can do with this wormhole ring from Shapeways, which can also be worn as a pendant. And depending on how much you want to spend and the type of metal you want it made from, you can get one of polished bronze or brass for as little as $64, or a platinum one for $1,100. (Don’t worry, there are lots of options in-between.) A wormhole would be an amazing option to get far, far away from this planet, but until we find one this will have to do.

Space Wall Murals

Even though we’ve begrudgingly accepted this planet is our home and we’re not getting away from it anytime soon, we can still transform our own homes into an intergalactic escape thanks to the removable easy peel and stick space murals from Wall26. They have a wide-range of pictures of stars, planets, galaxies, and nebula, and their large ones, like the one seen here, come in six pieces, 100 x 24 inches each. When combined they cover over 8 by 12 feet of wall. They have smaller options for as little as $20, but the biggest selections are currently on sale for $100. ($19.99-99.99)

Astronomers Without Borders OneSky Telescope

A telescope might be a very obvious space gift, but it’s still the best way to explore the cosmos on your own, and we specifically recommend this great-looking OneSky Telescope from Astronomers Without Borders for two fantastic reasons. The first is that it has received excellent reviews while being one of the best values available at $200. But just as cool is that all proceeds from it go towards Astronomers Without Borders global astronomy programs, which means when you buy one you’ll be helping spread your love of the stars to people in underdeveloped countries. ($199.99)

What better space gift could you give than one that helps a multitude of people from across the globe escape this planet for a little while.

But what are some great gift ideas we missed? Help us and your fellow Nerdist space geeks get away from Earth by sharing them with us in the comments below.

]]>Visit Our Solar System’s Celestial Bodies with Google Mapshttp://nerdist.com/solar-system-visit-google-maps/
Fri, 20 Oct 2017 12:00:19 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=550548No one can deny Google Maps is a great resource, but it does have one major limitation — it’s only useful for this planet. Sure, we love getting directions to some hidden bar in Portland, and using Street View to stroll down the Vegas strip or gaze upon the majesty of Mount Everest within seconds of each other. But sometimes we’d like to go be able to leave our home planet and skip across the moon or explore the red terrain of Mars.

Well now we can even do that, because thanks to a whole lot of pictures from NASA, Google Maps will let us explore outer space from the comfort of our couch.

Google has uploaded over half a million photos taken by spacecraft (like Cassini did for 20 years), and used them to reconstruct celestial bodies in our solar system. You can zoom in to look at specific places of note (I’m already planning on using it when I re-watch The Martian), which means you can use Google Maps and Street View to explore the frozen Jupiter moon Europa the the same way you might look at a building in Branson, Missouri.

Explore the icy plains of Enceladus, where Cassini discovered water beneath the moon’s crust—suggesting signs of life. Peer beneath the thick clouds of Titan to see methane lakes. Inspect the massive crater of Mimas—while it might seem like a sci-fi look-a-like, it is a moon, not a space station.

They added 12 “new worlds” in total, so all the places you can journey to with Google Maps include Mercury, Venus, Mars, Pluto, our Moon, Ceres, Io, Europa, Ganymede, Mimas, Enceladus, Dione, Rhea, Titan, Iapetus, and the International Space Station.

You can find them all from here, but Google recommends “for extra fun” that you “try zooming out from the Earth until you’re in space!” We’ve been doing that for years anyway, we just have lots of place to go explore now. But we’re still going to need directions to the moon. I don’t think “up” will work.

Which of these celestial bodies do you want to explore the most? Journey to our comments section below and let us know.

Images: Google

Keep Roaming the ‘Verse

]]>We Are Closer to Building STAR TREK’s Deflector Shields Than You Thinkhttp://nerdist.com/star-trek-deflector-shields-because-science/
Thu, 12 Oct 2017 16:00:26 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=548764Before movies like Star Wars determined what many space operas would look and feel like going forward, shows like Star Trek determined the kind of technology most would feature. As a predominant staple of Star Trek tech, ships would shoot phasers and protect themselves with some kind of “deflector shield.” These shields redirect dangerous and destructive energy in order to protect spaceships crews. But what we want to know is: How would they work?

In my latest Because Science, it’s “shield up!” as we try to make own our version of the famous forcefield, using actual fields and designs that real Earth scientists are looking into right now. If we had a deflector shield that could surround a spaceship on its way to Mars, for example, it would solve the cosmic radiation problem. A real deflector shield is more than a Roddenberry fantasy; it’s a NASA dream.

Of course, the effectiveness of any armor depends on what it’s supposed to be blocking, and so the makeup of a working deflector shield depends on what exactly it’s deflecting. Phasers, the main weapon in the Star Trek universe, have been called both particle and plasma weapons. There is a plausible way to block both, but you’ll have to watch my latest video above to find out what that way is!

Want More Science in Your Sci-Fi?

]]>Everything We Know About Elon Musk’s Big Freakin’ Rockethttp://nerdist.com/elon-musk-spacex-bfr-rocket-mars-moon-base-muskwatch/
Tue, 03 Oct 2017 15:00:33 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=546870Sometimes bigger is better, according to Elon Musk. While speaking at the International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide, Australia, the SpaceX CEO dropped a metric ton of new information about his plans to get our collective asses to Mars. The centerpiece of said plan, which he hopes to execute by 2024, is a massive new interplanetary transport system, codenamed the “BFR,” which we can only assume shares its first two initials with Doom‘s infamous BFG 9000. (For the sake of decency, we’ll paraphrase it here to mean “Big Freakin’ Rocket.”)

With 31 engines, the BFR will eventually phase out SpaceX’s current lineup of rockets, including the still-in-testing Falcon Heavy, and will ferry both people and equipment to the red planet. Musk wants to have four BFR rockets built and en route to Mars by 2024, with each rocket able to carry between 20 to 50 tons of cargo. The rocket, which will be completely reusable and is intended to become the new go-to for launching satellites, as well as docking with the International Space Station, isn’t only meant for interstellar travel. In fact, Musk wants to use it to make your daily commute a thing of the past. According to his estimates, the BFR could make a trip from New York City to Shanghai–a distance of roughly 7,392 miles/11,897 kilometers–take a mere 39 minutes. To put it in perspective, that is nearly how long it take me to drive from our office to my apartment in Los Angeles.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg on today’s episode of Muskwatch. As you’ll see in the video above, we’re diving deep into Musk’s plans for Mars, his long-simmering moon base, everything you need to know about SpaceX’s BFR, how Tesla is making a difference in Puerto Rico hurricane relief, and much more.

Muskwatchairs on Nerdist.com and YouTube every Tuesday, but you can hack the planet and watch it two full days earlier on Sunday if you’re an Alpha subscriber. Find out how you can get 30 days free (and be 48 hours smarter than your dumb friends) right here.

What do you think of this week’s top stories? What else would you like to see us discuss on Muskwatch? Let us know in the comments below!

WHAT ELSE IS ELON MUSK UP TO?

]]>The Latest Hyperloop Test Pod Obliterates the Speed Recordhttp://nerdist.com/hyperloop-test-spacex-elon-musk-muskwatch/
Tue, 29 Aug 2017 15:00:00 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=538327Now this is podracing! Or at the very least podtesting. This past Sunday, SpaceX brought together teams of engineers from all over the world to their Hawthorne, CA headquarters for the second SpaceX Hyperloop Pod competition. The brilliant minds were assembled to put their Hyperloop pod prototypes to the test, bringing Elon Musk’s vision of a high-speed, pressurized tube-based system of transportation one step closer to reality. Thankfully, competition drives innovation and at the end of the weekend’s festivities, a team of 30 students from Germany absolutely shattered the previous speed record for a Hyperloop test pod.

Hailing from Munich Technical University, WARR Hyperloop’s prototype pod accelerated to a blistering 324 kilometers per hour, which is approximately 201 miles per hour. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk was quick to take to Twitter to congratulate the winning team, and share a video of the prototype in action.

Congratulations to WARR team from Tech Univ Munich for winning 2nd @Hyperloop competition! Peak speed of 324 km/h, which is over 200 mph!!

The lightweight, carbon-fiber pod weighs in at 176 pounds, is powered by a 50kW electric motor, and can come to a complete halt within five seconds thanks to its four pneumatic friction brakes. This marks the second competition that Munich Technical University’s Hyperloop team has won. Back in January, its prototype took home the honors for fastest pod, which was a mere 58 MPH by comparison.

For those of you worried that the video above is indicative of the final Hyperloop experience, fret not. Elon Musk clarified in a subsequent tweet that “a Hyperloop passenger version wouldn’t have intense light strobe effect” or “uncomfortable acceleration.” These discomforts were just for testing purposes, with Musk adding that “high [acceleration is] only needed because [the] tube is short,” and promising “no spilt drinks” on the final passenger version.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for what’s going on in the wild world of Elon Musk. Also on today’s episode of Muskwatch, we’re getting into the latest from SpaceX’s newly designed spacesuits, rumors that Elon is secretly a time traveler, the unexpected perk available to Tesla owners, and much more.

Muskwatchairs on Nerdist.com and YouTube every Tuesday, but you can hack the planet and watch it two full days earlier on Sunday if you’re an Alpha subscriber. Find out how you can get 30 days free (and be 48 hours smarter than your dumb friends) right here.

What do you think of this week’s top stories? What else would you like to see us discuss on Muskwatch? Let us know in the comments below!

More accessible and cost-effective space travel has been at the top of Musk’s to-do list for some time now, and if you follow him anywhere on social media, it seems like he’s hitting milestones almost daily. A few hours ago, Musk shared the first ever photo of a SpaceX spacesuit, which he notes actually works and is not just a mockup.

The suit, which could double as an alternate Daft Punk costume, looks a lot like the images that surfaced early last year, which was designed by Hollywood costume designer Jose Fernandez and then reverse engineered to make it functional and safe for space travel. After SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket proves itself later this year, this very well could be the space suit the first humans bound for Mars wear.

Musk promised more photos of the spacesuit in the next few days, so we’ll soon be able to see if the rest of the suit also matches up with the early images. What do you think of the suit? Pretty slick, right? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

What else is up with Elon?

]]>Here’s a Roundup of How the Internet Celebrated the Total Solar Eclipsehttp://nerdist.com/solar-eclipse-2017-roundup-memes/
Tue, 22 Aug 2017 00:30:39 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=536318Roughly 5,350 years ago, people living in what’s now known as Ireland saw something they couldn’t explain. Something that compelled them to sit down in front of big rocks and carve out little pictures of what they’d seen in order to mark the momentous occasion for future generations. That something was a total solar eclipse; when the Moon almost fully blots out the Sun’s light beaming onto certain parts of Earth’s surface. Roughly 5,350 years later, people across North America were privileged to witness that exact same type of rare spectacle, and they too marked the occasion as best they knew how: with millions of images, videos, and truly dank memes uploaded to our own 21st century stone, the internet.

First off, for the essential taste of what exactly everybody was so hyped about, here’s a stunning video of the eclipse from NASA, which was taken just before, during and after totality, or the time segment during which the Moon obscures the entire disk of the Sun, only leaving the solar corona visible. This results in a “diamond ring” effect, where all but a sliver of sunlight is blocked out by the Moon, leaving a ring of brilliant white light.

While you may have heard crickets chirping during the eclipse (they think it’s night while the Sun’s blocked), you may have also heard something else that sounded like Bill Bill Bill Bill Bill… That’s because the Science Guy was out there checking out the solar eclipse with a fresh pair of ‘clipse blockers on. Check out the guy in the white shirt in the background who was too cool to watch one of the most rare celestial events we’ll ever get to witness.

The total solar eclipse also brought out people’s creativity, and Zach King, YouTuber and filmmaker best known for his super creative Vine videos (RIP Vine), put together a perfect little tribute to the total solar eclipse with some of his brain-bending editing skills.

An image of a person dressed in a T. Rex costume warning of impending doom (uploaded to Reddit by user attheisstt) also went viral, because those T. Rex costumes are hilarious and so are… existential threats to life on Earth?

And of course there was President Trump who (surprise!) made the rounds online in various forms based on his decision to look—twice—at the eclipse without any kind of eye protection on. But whatever damage was done to his eyes by the sun’s hurtling photons was more than made up for by the comedy those—two—moments inspired.

There were also plenty of other jaw-dropping photographs taken of the eclipse for those who missed it, and some of our favorites from NASA are available in the image gallery below. There will also be another total eclipse in 2024, so don’t worry if you missed it this time. It will literally come around again in your lifetime.

What were your favorite images, jokes, and memes carved into our 21st century block of stone commemorating this awe-inspiring event? Carve out your thoughts in the comments section below!

You like science? Read these!

]]>NASA Needs a Protector of Earth! And the Job Pays Six Figureshttp://nerdist.com/nasa-planetary-protection-officer-alien-earth-job/
Wed, 02 Aug 2017 21:00:34 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=531378Do you dream of bravely standing at the front lines for humanity when the aliens come for us, as they surely will? Do you have what it takes to protect the universe against the follies of mankind as we travel the cosmos? Do you want a full-time government job that pays in the high six figures?

Cause if the answer to all those questions is yes, NASA is looking for you. And the position includes dental.

We learned about this very real job opening, which sounds like our greatest sci-fi fantasies come to life, at Yahoo. America’s space agency is trying to fill its position of Planetary Protection Officer, a job first created in 1967 following the U.S.’s ratification of Outer Space Treaty, but not always filled with a single full-time employee.

But now they are looking for someone to join the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance for Planetary Protection, whose responsibilities will include “the avoidance of organic-constituent and biological contamination in human and robotic space exploration,” a.k.a. making sure we don’t send accidentally send a bunch of destructive Earth germs to other planets via our spacecraft.

While that task is a serious matter and requires traveling around the world to check spacecraft before they blast off (it would not be ideal to explore a distant celestial body only to totally destroy it because Frank sneezed on the robot), it’s the other half of the job that has us (once again) practicing Bill Pullman’s speech from Independence Day.

That’s because the position is also tasked with making sure Earth isn’t contaminated by alien microbes. Yeah, part of the job is literally protecting the planet from aliens.

And it pays as much as $187,000 a year. That ain’t Tony Stark money, but it is far more than what Captain America makes.

The appointment is for three years. No word yet on if current PLANETARY PROTECTION OFFICER (we now realize that title should be in all caps) Catharine Conley, hired in 2014, will stay on, but we hope she does.

As far as we can tell no alien germs or invaders have overrun our home planet while she’s been on the watch, nor have we destroyed the universe yet.

And really, what more could we ask of someone tasked with protecting the planet. Other than maybe the occasional July 4th speech.

]]>The International Space Station Has an Adorable New Camera Dronehttp://nerdist.com/the-international-space-station-has-an-adorable-new-camera-drone/
Wed, 19 Jul 2017 00:30:03 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=526639The astronauts aboard the International Space Station have a lot to do 400 kilometers above our heads, whether it’s growing flowers, playing pong with water, or doing more serious genetics research and experiments. They’ve got plenty of high-tech tools to do their science, and now they’ve added another impressive (and super cute) one to their arsenal: a spherical camera drone known as the “Int-Ball” (via Engadget).

Created by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Int-Ball is 15 centimeters in diameter and transfers images back to Earth in (almost) real-time, so JAXA staff can respond to problems quickly. Int-Ball can also move either autonomously or under the control of operators back on Earth, which could end up being a big time-saver for astronauts aboard the ISS. JAXA says that astronauts spend about ten percent of their time up there with a camera in their hand, so having a floating camera around that can do a lot of that work by itself could be huge.

Int-Ball moves around in zero gravity thanks to its three-axis control unit, which works with 12 fans on the robot’s surface to adjust its position as necessary. It has a navigation camera that looks for pink “3D target makers” reference points on the ship, and the recording camera is between its big, adorable “eyes” so it’s easy to tell what Int-Ball is actually looking at.

Int-Ball has been on the ISS since June 4, and while JAXA is working on making the ball more effective as an autonomous unit, it seems like it’s off to a pretty solid start. Check out the videos throughout this post, and let us know in the comments below what other potential benefits Int-Ball could provide.

Featured image: NASA/JAXA

]]>Flyover of Pluto Shows Beautiful Details of Our Favorite Former Planethttp://nerdist.com/flyover-of-pluto-shows-beautiful-details-of-our-favorite-former-planet/
Mon, 17 Jul 2017 20:00:48 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=526316Pluto may not technically be a planet anymore (unless you’re in New Mexico at just the right time), but that doesn’t mean it’s not one of the most beloved objects in our solar system; in fact, losing its planet status probably made Pluto even more lovable. Maybe that’s part of what makes this new Pluto flyover video from NASA so lovely.

To be clear, this isn’t actual video that was recorded in real-time; rather, it was compiled using New Horizons many photos of the dwarf planet and digital elevation models. “Why not just create actual video from New Horizons’ photos,” you might be asking. Combing photos and elevation data together gives us a much closer look at what the surface actually looks like.

The clip’s description lays out where the journey takes us:

“This dramatic Pluto flyover begins over the highlands to the southwest of the great expanse of nitrogen ice plain informally named Sputnik Planitia. The viewer first passes over the western margin of Sputnik, where it borders the dark, cratered terrain of Cthulhu Macula, with the blocky mountain ranges located within the plains seen on the right. The tour moves north past the rugged and fractured highlands of Voyager Terra and then turns southward over Pioneer Terra — which exhibits deep and wide pits — before concluding over the bladed terrain of Tartarus Dorsa in the far east of the encounter hemisphere.”

]]>Elon Musk is Having a Way Better Month Than All of Ushttp://nerdist.com/elon-musk-is-having-a-way-better-month-than-all-of-us/
Tue, 11 Jul 2017 15:00:04 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=524113With the barbecue-tinged bliss of the Fourth of July in our rearview mirrors and the sprawling fandemonium of Comic-Con coming up on the horizon, you might be thinking that you’re having a pretty good month. After all, it’s the middle of summer, so you might be off on vacation or able to finagle the odd three-day weekend here or there. But as it turns out, no matter how good you think your month is currently going, there is no possible way–scientifically, academically, empirically, you name it–that you’re having a better July than Elon Musk. The modern day Tony Stark is having such a tremendous July that we may as well be back in the hinterlands of February. Just what kind of midsummer night’s dream is unfolding for Musk? Allow Kyle Hill and me to break it down for you on today’s episode of Muskwatch.

Here’s a rundown of the highlights of Elon’s seriously excellent month we’ll be covering in today’s show:

The official launch of the Tesla Model 3

SpaceX makes history with the first privately-owned space capsule to be reused in a trip to the International Space Station

SpaceX’s COO asserts the company will produce as many as 20 rockets in 2017

The Boring Company’s mega drill completed its first section of underground tunnel

Elon Musk is horny for floors

…and much more!

Muskwatchairs on Nerdist.com and YouTube every Tuesday, but you can hack the planet and watch it two full days earlier on Sunday if you’re an Alpha subscriber. Find out how you can get 30 days free (and be 48 hours smarter than your dumb friends) right here.

What do you think of this week’s top stories? What else would you like to see us discuss on Muskwatch? Let us know in the comments below!

]]>U.S. House Committee Proposes Training Space Marineshttp://nerdist.com/u-s-house-space-marines-mass-effect-aliens/
Mon, 10 Jul 2017 21:00:50 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=523972H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds, first published in 1898, is one of the most famous alien-invasion stories in history, having spawned a panic-inducing radio drama in the ’30s and two films in the ’50s and 2000s. Each time it surfaced, the story tapped into worldly fears of both invasion and the unknown. At the time of the book’s inception, Britain was at the height of colonial power, so the thought of an even more powerful force conquering the empire was unsettling. Now, it appears members of the U.S. government might harbor similar fears. Or they just think space is freakin’ cool, man.

In a 60 to 1 vote this week, the House Armed Services Committee designated a new branch of the military called the United States Space Corps, which sounds like exactly the kind of thing that happens before aliens invade. The branch would fall under the discretion of the Air Force and would, among other things, train soldiers to fight in space. We doubt such a space army would actually be used to defend from alien invasion (since, according to Mass Effect, most aliens just want to bone).

Calm down there, Garrus.

More likely, then, is that the proposal would simply add a fourth level to the the tiered structure of war: land, sea, air, and now space? If America creates a space-faring army, it’s not so far-fetched to assume other nations will do the same, bringing us one step closer to The Expanse.

So maybe our Space Marines wouldn’t be protecting us from the Reapers or an extraterrestrial protomolecule. Just boring human space-bros.

Would you sign up to be a Space Marine? What planet should we blow up with our interplanetary laser that we’re definitely building? Let us know in the comments below.

Image: Universal, EA, Syfy

]]>Find Out If You Have What It Takes to Live on Marshttp://nerdist.com/find-out-if-you-have-what-it-takes-to-live-on-mars/
Wed, 05 Jul 2017 12:00:25 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=521847Long before Neil Armstrong stepped on the Moon, mankind dreamed of traveling to Mars. Our dusty red neighbor sits close enough to tantalize, but far enough to almost feel like it’s mocking us. But even as scientists get closer to fulfilling that long held dream, there remain many obstacles standing in the way of safely getting humans over yonder. So the question is: Do you have what it takes to live on Mars?

And just a quick followup: Even if you do, would you want to go?

The answer to that second one might seem easy. “Of course I’d go to Mars if I could!” But the reality about the circumstances at hand makes it a little less of a no-brainer, as the great YouTube channel AsapSCIENCE explains in their latest video. Even if you have the required physical and mental traits necessary to survive both the trip to Mars and what it would take to live there, the challenges are so great you might opt instead to just stay back on Earth.

Literally every step of the way is fraught with dangers that will kill you. Even if the spaceship doesn’t blow up during the launch, or the sun’s radiation doesn’t kill you, you’ll have to wear the same underwear for weeks on end during a miserable two-year journey!

And once you get to Mars, it gets so much worse. What with the extremes in temperature and the ordeal of living underground in a heavy spacesuit before retiring to your cramped Martian apartment.

Maybe as a species we should think through our dreams just a little bit more.

Are you up for a trip to Mars? And would you want to take it? Travel to our comments section below to let us know.

]]>Space Is Worth a Whole Lot of Moneyhttp://nerdist.com/space-is-worth-a-whole-lot-of-money/
Mon, 03 Jul 2017 02:00:58 +0000http://nerdist.com/?p=521869Elon Musk might be working on making space travel a lot cheaper, but our dream of being intergalactic jet setters still won’t be financially feasible any time soon. Unless we accidentally get accepted into NASA’s astronaut program, those of us lacking comic-book-villain bank accounts can’t plan on zipping around the stars. What makes that even worse is that we’d easily be able to afford to go to space if we could just get to space, because it turns out space is worth a whole heck of a lot of money.

In the latest video from the great YouTube channel Life Noggin, they try to figure out the dollar value of space itself. Spoiler alert: it’s a lot. In fact, the moon itself is filthy rich.

Forget cheese: the moon is basically made out of dollar dollar bills.

When a single asteroid can contain metals worth trillions of dollars, the technical answer to this video’s question is “infinity”: space is worth infinity dollars.

But on a practical level, the one that might actually make traveling to space as feasible for a normal person as taking a commercial flight cross country, the resources available in space are the real value to mankind. Without having to commit money and space to getting necessities like water from Earth to space, mankind might be able to start leaving our home planet like walking to the corner store.

But creating the technology to do that won’t be cheap, so we’re still far away. That’s why the worse thing about all of this is knowing that our space money needs can easily be solved out in space. Space irony is the second worse thing.

What do you think space is worth? Your thoughts are worthy of our comments section below.